Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish was confirmed positive for coronavirus after he was admitted to hospital this week. The 69-year-old, possibly the most iconic figure in Reds ‘history, went to the hospital on Wednesday to seek treatment for an infection that, according to the club, required intravenous antibiotics. In compliance with existing protocols, Dalglish was eventually screened for COVID-19, despite having previously shown no signs of illness. The test result was positive, but it remains asymptomatic.
Liverpool’s statement states that, prior to his hospital admission, Sir Kenny had decided to voluntarily isolate himself for longer than the prescribed time, along with his family, and that “he will advise everyone to obey the appropriate government and expert advice in the days and weeks ahead.”
He added: “He would like to take this opportunity to thank the brilliant workers of the GSP,
whose devotion, courage and sacrifice should be the object of the nation’s attention at this extraordinary time.
“He will also suggest that they are given the space to do their work during what
is an incredibly difficult period for them and that the privacy of their own families is respected.
He’s looking forward to getting home soon. Arguably the greatest player in Liverpool’s history, Dalglish made 515 appearances for the club after signing from Celtic in 1977, scoring 172 goals.
He won five league titles, three European Cups and four League Cups as a player, and was twice named FWA Footballer of the Year. He took over as a manager in 1985 and led his side to
their first and only League and FA Cup doubles in his first season in charge. He would add two more league titles and another FA Cup to his list, but it was his role in the wake of the 1989 Hillsborough tragedy that cemented his reputation at Anfield. Dalglish resigned as manager in February 1991 and went on to lead Blackburn Rovers to the Premier League title in 1995.
Having returned to Liverpool as a club ambassador, he made a spectacular return to the manager’s seat in January 2011, initially on an interim basis. He was assigned to the 2011-12 campaign on a permanent basis and led the club to the League Cup crown. Liverpool was also beaten in the FA Cup final, but Dalglish was sacked that summer after a disappointing league season. In October 2013, he returned to the Reds as a non-executive director, and in October 2017 Anfield’s Centenary Stand has renamed The Sir Kenny Dalglish Stand in recognition of the club’s excellent service.